Page 9 of Sinned

I grabbed her hand on my chest and held it there. She smelled sweet like mangos. The warmth of her hand through my shirt made me think things I hadn’t thought of in years. As she stared up at me, I noticed golden flecks in her eyes and how her thick lashes brushed against her cheek when she blinked. The man in me wanted to rip her towel off and taste her plump lips. I turned away and let go of her.

“I am a priest,” I said, my voice husky. “I am Father Charles McArthur.”

“Well this isn’t how I thought we’d meet. And you aren’t what I was expecting at all.” She picked up the packet from the ground and held it up. “Sorry for throwing birth control at you, be thankful that was all I had.” She flashed a smile at me revealing perfect teeth. “I’m Doctor Abrams, but you can call me Ava.”

CHAPTER FOUR

Charles

The next morning I woke up early and headed out to the church, San Rafael. The church’s brownstone steps rose from the street and extended the full width of the building. In the center was an archway with large wooden double doors. Flanking the entrance were two spires with crucifixes on top.

Shielding my eyes, I spotted a large bell on the left. Affixed on the right spire was a clock. Ornate stone carvings of various saints graced the entrance.

San Rafael was an old structure that had recently been given new life. The interior was retouched and painted, new pews and other furniture were brought in, and the stained glass windows had been repaired.

While I was excited to help start and build the parish there, I knew it was going to be a challenge. The area had many churches and not many people with the ability to travel to Amaru.

I opened up the front double doors and the smell of paint and varnish filled the air. Pushing the doors wider, I snapped them into place so the church could air out. Just inside were stacks of boxes and crates. Throughout the old church were life-sized statues of the saints.

As I picked up one of the boxes, Ava walked through the doorway. Her dark hair was pulled back into a low ponytail. Strands of her hair had loosened around her face. Her large brown eyes flicked from one side of the church to the other.

“Ava, right?” I asked, nonchalantly.

“Yes, I’m sure you had a hard time remembering which naked woman it was you saw last night.” She raised her eyebrow at me and grinned. “Shouldn’t you be in some kind of dress or robe or something?”

“They’re called vestments and no. I’m off duty right now. I only wear my vestments when I’m performing sacred duties.”

“Really? So you’re allowed to be out in jeans and a t-shirt like a normal person?”

“Even though I’m a priest, I’m still a normal person.”

“I know, sorry, that’s not what I meant.”

She looked down at the tile floor and shoved her hands in her jean pockets. I stacked a couple of boxes together and carried them up the aisle to the altar.

“Crap,” she whispered. “He’s hotter than I remembered. That’s just not right.”

“Did you say something?” I couldn’t hide my half smile as her face turned red. Her hand covered her mouth and she quickly shook her head back and forth. “You know these old churches were built with special acoustics so that whatever I say up here can be heard perfectly in the back.”

“Oh? I had no idea.”

She turned away and even though I thought she was embarrassed enough to leave, she stayed. As she walked around the church admiring the different statues, I couldn’t help but admire her.

Ava was not only beautiful, but she was smart and funny. That she stayed even after being embarrassed said a lot to me about her and it made me want to get to know her more. She and I could be great friends.

“Whenever I’m in a church I always look for Saint Therese,” she said.

“The Little Flower of Jesus? Why’s that?”

“She was my Confirmation saint.”

“Really? You’re a Catholic?”

She nodded as she kept walking around the church. “Yes, I guess so, but I wouldn’t call myself religious. I definitely was a Catholic, but I can’t say I agree with everything now that I’m an adult. What about you?”

“Oh I’m Catholic,” I said with a laugh.

“Obviously,” she said as she rolled her eyes. “I mean is your Confirmation saint here?”